President Barack Obama will present a new national security strategy early next year, identifying his foreign policy priorities for the remainder of his time in office, the White House said Friday.

The new policy document will be the second of Obama's administration and will likely update the previous one, released in May 2010, in several important areas. Those include policies for fighting the next phase of the war against al-Qaida, the shift of national security resources to Asia and a plan to manage declining defense budgets amid fiscal strain.

The administration will detail how it intends to achieve the new goals in the spring, Obama told Congress in a letter.

Scandal widens over contracts for Navy

A scandal involving the U.S. Navy's ship supply network, until now focused on the Pacific Fleet, has spread to another contractor working for Navy ships in the waters off the Middle East, Africa and South America.

The Justice Department is looking into allegations that the company, Inchcape Shipping Services, with the help of subcontractors, overcharged the Navy by millions of dollars, the New York Times reported Friday, citing interviews and previously undisclosed court documents.

Inchcape, which is owned by the government of Dubai, was suspended Wednesday from winning new federal contracts.

The Navy is also grappling with an investigation of a supplier in the Pacific, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, on overbilling charges.

Elsewhere

Ukraine: Police in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, forcefully broke up a large protest gathering in the central city today, beating some demonstrators with truncheons. Protesters are calling for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych after his refusal to sign an association agreement with the European Union.

Egypt: Security forces fired tear gas and water cannons on Friday to break up antigovernment demonstrations by Islamists defying a draconian new law restricting protests.

Thailand: Protesters forced their way onto the grounds of Thailand's army headquarters on Friday, asking the military to support their campaign to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The army insisted it will not take sides in the dispute.